Feed grease in journal boxes



` Aug. ll, 1925. 1,548,881

R. HARRIS ,FEED GREASE INJOURNAL BOXES Filed D'ec. 4, 1924 4 @wmv/wkn,

23 jfawwf Patented Aug. 11, 1925.

UNITED STATES RALPH HARRIS, F SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI.

FEED GREASE IN JOURNAL BO'XES. y

Application filed December 4, 1924.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, RALPH HARRIS, a citizen of the 1United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Greene and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Feed Grease in Journal Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to locomotive journal boxes, and aims to provide novel means for distributing grease, used as a lubricant, for the axle supported in the journal box.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will not only supply fresh grease to the axle, but will act to remove foreign matter there from to insure against grit or the like passing between the axle and its bearing to wear the bearing.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be readily and easily positioned in the usual journal box, eliminating the necessity of making alterations in the journal box construction to apply the device.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, with-- out departing` from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view through a journal box supplied with a device for distributing grease constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the distributing plate, and

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the reference character 5 indicates a journal box which is of the usual construction, the same being provided with the bearing supports 6 in which the bearing 7 is mounted.

The axle operating in the bearing` is indicated at 8 and against which axle the distributing plate forming the important feature of the invention, engages.

Spaced Walls 9 are formed within the journal box and constitute a grease retainer,

Serial No. 753,908.

the block of grease being indicated at 10, i

and shown as positioned between the walls 9. Movable within the grease retainer is a follower 11 which is spring pressed, the spring being indicated at 12 and mounted on the rod 13 that moves through a suitable opening in the bottom of the journal box so that the follower may be returned to its initial position to facilitate the filling of the grease receptacle.

The distributing plate is shown more clearly by Figure 2 of the drawing and is indicated by the reference character 16, the plate being formed of sheet metal and curved transversely of its length to conform to the curvature of an axle against which the plate engages. The plate is supported directly on the block of grease and as shown, the plate is provided with downwardly extended flanges 17 and 18 extending along its opposite sides, there being provided a flange 19 arranged in spaced relation with the flange 18 for engaging one edge of the block of grease and hold the same against movement.

Spaced from the fiange 18, is an elongated cut out portion 2O which establishes communication between the upper surface of the plate and the pocket 21 so that foreign matter scraped from the axle may pass downwardly through the opening 2O and fall into the pocket 21, where it may be removed.

Disposed adjacent to the upper edge of the flange 18, is another elongated cut out portion 22 through which material may pass on its entrance to the pocket 21.

Depending flanges 23 are formed at the ends of the plate 16, the flanges being spaced apart to permit the plate 16 to be curved to conform to the curvature of the axle engaged thereby.

Openings 24 are provided throughout the surface of the plate 16 and establish communication between the upper surface of the plate and the grease retainer proper, and since the grease engages the under surface of the plate, it will be obvious that as the follower 11 is forced upwardly under the action of the spring 12, grease will be forced through the openings 24 to lubricate the axle operating therein.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that due to the construction as shown and described, grease may bei, supplied to an axle at all times, and that foreign matter such as hardened grease or' the like which may collect on the axle will be scraped therefrom a body portion having depending flanges 15 by the edges of the elongated openings.

I claim:-

1. A grease distributing plate comprising a body portion having depending flanges formed along its side edges, a depending flange spaced from one of the flanges. said plate having an opening disposed adjacent to the upper edge of' the last mentioned flange, the edges of the opening defining scraping edges, and said plate having openings formed therethrough to permit material to be forced through Jdie plate.

2. A grease distributing plate comprising formed along its side edges, said plate having an elongated cnt ont portion formed adjacent to one of the side edges, a depending flange formed adjacent to the cnt out portion and lying in parallel spaced relation with one of the lirst mentioned flanges, and said plate having openings formed therethrough.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my gwn, I have hereto aflixed niy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

RALPH HARRIS. 

